Telecommunications leader MTN Nigeria has officially notified its subscribers in three northern states of a significant service disruption. The company confirmed on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, that a fibre cut is causing temporary network challenges in parts of Kebbi, Zamfara, and Sokoto states.
Scope of the Service Disruption
In a public statement, MTN explained that the incident may lead to the temporary unavailability of its 2G, 3G, and 4G services for customers within the impacted areas. The company has mobilised its technical teams to address the issue with urgency. MTN has apologised for the inconvenience caused and assured its user base that restoring full connectivity is its top priority.
The company's message to customers read: "We are experiencing network challenges in some parts of Kebbi, Zamfara, and Sokoto states due to a fibre cut. Our engineers are working to restore services as soon as possible. We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding."
Fibre Cuts: A Persistent Challenge for Nigerian Telcos
This incident highlights an ongoing infrastructure vulnerability within Nigeria's telecoms sector. Fibre optic cuts remain a frequent cause of service outages, often resulting from activities such as road construction, vandalism, and a lack of proper coordination among utility service providers. These disruptions significantly impact connectivity and digital access for millions of subscribers.
MTN's Continued Network Investment Amid Challenges
Despite these operational hurdles, MTN Nigeria continues to channel substantial resources into expanding and fortifying its network infrastructure. According to its unaudited financial report for the first quarter of 2025, the telco invested a staggering N202.4 billion in capital expenditure. This figure represents a 159% year-on-year increase, focused on network upgrades and capacity enhancement.
The investment appears to correlate with strong user growth. MTN reported that its total subscriber base grew by 8.2% to 84.1 million, adding 3.2 million new users in Q1 2025. Furthermore, its active data users saw a 13.0% rise, reaching 50.3 million.
MTN Nigeria's Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, linked this aggressive investment to recent regulatory approvals for price adjustments. He stated that the development empowered the company to accelerate its network rollout, focusing on boosting capacity and improving the overall user experience. Toriola also noted that relative stability in the exchange rate contributed to the company's return to profitability during the period.
As engineers work to repair the damaged fibre line in the northwest, MTN subscribers in the affected states are advised to anticipate intermittent services until full restoration is achieved.
